


Tranquil

by Shadow15



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-20 21:53:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14902709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow15/pseuds/Shadow15
Summary: When Torchwood recovers two incredibly rare aliens from the alien trade, Jack takes the Gallifreyans for himself to spare them a cruel fate if word got out about them.  The only problem is, after everything that had been done to them at the hands of humans, it's not going to be that easy.





	1. Chapter 1

“I think you should come and see this.” 

When Jack Harkness got phone calls like these on his days off, he  _ knew  _ it wasn’t something to be dismissed.  He sat up in his bed, the sun not yet risen high enough to light his bedroom through the cracks of his curtains.  He pulled his blankets to his shoulders to fight off the chill as he replied into the receiver in a grave tone. “What is it?” 

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few moments.  “…The establishment you had instructed us to raid last night...”

Jack frowned.  He  _ had  _ given such orders, but there had been several illegal establishments he’d given the all clear to investigate.  He wracked his brain, and finally, after careful consideration, he took a stab in the dark. “The one selling aliens into slavery?” 

“Yes, sir.  We… We’ve found some.” 

There was no room to argue.  He ended the call and threw the blankets from his naked body to get out of the bed.  He’d dressed quickly, perhaps the fastest he’d done so in several years, and though he lived almost an hour away from his work, he made it there in half the time.

“Right this way.” Ianto seemed unusually serious as he led his boss through the winding hallways and down to the examination rooms.  There was silence between them, each lost in their own thoughts, until they’d stepped inside and Jack had caught sight of the being sprawled out naked on one of the examination tables, trembling violently and trying to curl into a ball despite the restraints around his wrists and ankles that kept him spread.  There was another one across from him, but that one – an older male, judging from a quick glance – didn’t seem fearful; instead, he seemed angry if the way he struggled against his restraints meant anything. 

No matter how long he’d been running Torchwood for, there were still some things that would never fail to surprise him.  

“This one looks to have taken a beating.” Jack moved to the table to stand over what looked just like a human, though was anything  _ but _ .  He reached his hand out to touch the curly locks, but the specimen whimpered and tried to back away from the hand again.  “We  _ were  _ right about them trading aliens.  All the aliens have been rescued, I take it?” 

“Yes; these were the last two we’ve examined and treated.” Ianto frowned at the alien his boss’ hand was still hovering by.  “It looks like most of them had already been sold off; there weren’t many left. These two were being bid upon by the time we’d gotten there.” 

Jack closed his eyes.  Torchwood had come far from its former self.  There had once been a time where it was to be  _ feared  _ amongst all alien lifeform, but with Jack’s intervention, he had turned it around and shaped it into  _ helping  _ instead of  _ harming _ . 

He looked down into the alien’s green eyes.  So human. So… So  _ emotional.   _ He looked back to Ianto, not wanting to watch as tears rolled down the specimen’s cheeks.  “And you’re  _ sure  _ they are Gallifreyan?”

“Positive.  We’ve done all the tests on them.”

“Don’t you think it’s odd that Gallifreyans have been thought to be extinct for hundreds of years now – and then, somehow, they get their hands on two of them.  Makes you wonder where they were found, doesn’t it?” 

Jack moved to stand between the two examination tables so he could observe the aliens’ features and compare them.  The angry Gallifreyan had shorter, messier hair that looked to be a remarkably similar shade of chocolate to his companion, with a much thinner build and soft facial features.  The other one that was now a whimpering mess on the opposite side of the room looked so much younger, but he had a heavier build with narrower features, and where his companion’s reactions were urged on by anger, this one seemed to be driven primarily by fear instead.

“What was planned to be done with these two?” Jack’s eyes wandered over the aliens, still in disbelief.  “They’re incredibly rare; if word ever gets out about them, I hate to think where they’ll end up.”

Ianto flicked through the notes the examining nurse had left him earlier.  He hummed before he said, “Martha doesn’t know if they can be rehabilitated and returned.  Whatever they’ve been put through seems to have caused them to go into extremes – and besides that, where would we even return them  _ to? _  No one’s seen a Gallifreyan in four-hundred years and all of a sudden, we have two on our hands.” 

Jack tapped his chin as his eyes bore into the fearful one’s own.  “Do they respond to names?” 

“They were codenamed.  That one’s Doctor…” he pointed to specimen with tears rolling down his cheeks, “and that one’s Theta.  Though, for some reason, they both seem to respond to Doctor.” 

Jack nodded.  “Do as much research on Gallifreyans as you can and make note on  _ everything _ to bring to me tonight.  Bring them their clothes and get them dressed; I’ll keep these two.” 

“Sir…” Ianto frowned.  He tossed the clipboard onto the desk beside him.  “Sir, those are  _ aliens _ .  You can’t just –“

“- I am your boss, and Martha has said it herself; these two might not be rehabilitated, so instead of living the rest of their  _ extremely  _ long lives in  _ cages _ ,  _ I  _ will look after them.”

Ianto knew not to argue.  Jack wouldn’t do anything that would bring him to harm, and all he wanted was to _ try  _ and help when things looked to be useless.  Instead, he nodded. “I’ll find them something to cover up with so you can take them to your car.  Gallifreyans are said to be very strong though, and Theta’s aggressive. What about their hands being free?” 

“There’s not much we can do about that short of handcuffing them and making them feel  _ more  _ threatened,” Jack pointed out.  “I don’t think they can be sedated easily, but try your best – if only to get them placid enough to sit in the back of the car quietly.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

While Ianto scurried about to obey his orders, Jack locked eyes with the terrified alien again.  He frowned at the loud cry he’d earned; he’d hardly done anything and already the poor thing was terrified of him.  Judging by the massive amounts of bruising all over the creature’s body that told a story Jack wasn’t sure he wanted to know, the Gallifreyans had every right to be acting out as they currently were.  

 

* * *

 

The problem with Gallifreyans was that, just because they looked perfectly human on the outside didn’t mean their  _ physiology  _ was human, and such a thing had proved troublesome when it had come to trying to put them to sleep with anesthetic.

At least they’re laying calmly now, Jack had pointed out when Ianto had suggested giving them each another dose until their eyes stayed closed.  Ianto had relented, and under his boss’ orders, he helped get the Gallifreyans out to Jack’s SUV and into the back seats. 

The drive home wasn’t the problem, despite the anesthesia having started wearing off and the older alien – Theta, Jack had to remember he’d been codenamed as – started making noise, agitated sounds filling the car as he otherwise stayed where he was, either too exhausted or still too drugged to be able to coordinate his body.  

No, the problem lay where Jack had parked the car in his driveway and then realized it wasn’t going to be easy to get both aliens inside of his house.  One, he probably could have managed, but  _ two…?   _ If he wasn’t careful, he’d probably lose one, if not both.  

 

“Okay…” Jack turned the vehicle off and opened his door.  He looked over his shoulder at what he supposed were technically his guests, studying them.  Theta’s hands were clenching and unclenching now, and he looked more alert than he had ten minutes ago.  His breathing was heavy, and it sounded like he was grinding his teeth.

The Doctor, on the other hand, still looked out of it.  His eyelids were drooped and he was slumped heavily against the door.  As frightened as he had been an hour ago, he barely looked more than discontent in this moment.  

He was going to have to take them inside one at a time, he realized, and if he hurried, he could probably get back to the Doctor before he became more alert as well.

“Okay…  Theta?” Jack got out of the car and moved to open the back door.  He looked down at Theta, but the other paid him no heed as he glared angrily out of the windshield ahead.  “Theta.” 

Ianto was right; for whatever reason, Theta wasn’t listening to his ‘name’, though Jack couldn’t blame him;  _ he  _ wouldn’t want to accept a name given to him by abusers, either.  

“Okay.  Okay.” Jack took a deep breath, depending on just how much anesthesia had left Theta’s system, this could turn out either very bad or very easy.  He reached out and grabbed the alien’s shoulders and tugged, and though it earned him an angry shout and a hiss, Theta didn’t otherwise do anything.  

Theta dug his heels into the cement once his bare feet had touched the ground, and though he’d have loved to keep them there and resist being dragged by his attacker, the cement was far too hot beneath him, and he could only let out a series of yelps as panic started coming back to him; if  _ this  _ human didn’t even need to  _ touch  _ him to cause pain, what  _ was  _ he capable of…? 

“Come on; you’re going to hurt yourself.” Jack grabbed the other’s arm and pulled him along the pavement and up to the verandah to the front door of his home.  It was a shaded area, and if the ground was still warm, it was no longer bothering Theta as he wasn’t dancing in pain now; he kept bouncing his weight from leg to leg as he whimpered, as if it could make a difference to what were now most likely burns on the soles of his feet.  

The front door unlocked and Theta was easy enough to drag inside now.  The Gallifreyan didn’t move from where he’d been moved to the center of the living room; he only glared at his abductor and bared his teeth in warning.  

“Stay here; I’ll go get your friend.” Jack didn’t know what he’d been expecting by saying that.  He knew it wouldn’t make a difference to whatever Theta ended up doing in his absence, but he supposed it had to do with having once heard that Gallifreyans had an understanding of English and maybe Theta would understand that he was only wanting to help.  

“Alright, Doc; your turn.” 

As soon as he’d opened the car door, The Doctor gave him a look of exhaustion that still held hints of fear in his young face.  It was almost startling, really; how such a youthful appearance possessed eyes of an old man that had seen and done  _ far  _ too much.

* * *

“Up we go!” He was light.   _ Too  _ light, Jack knew.  From what he’d seen of the alien’s body that morning, The Doctor wasn’t  _ worryingly  _ thin; his body was gangly, but somehow, Jack wasn’t struggling with the creature in his arms.

The Doctor barely moved, though he started crying again now.  Jack winced; whatever had been done to them in that place… 

The alien wasn’t struggling.  Jack knew it should mean relief that he wasn’t being resisted, but from one damaged mind to another, he understood it meant resignation to fate.  He sighed, and as quickly as he could he got back inside. 

Theta hadn’t moved from where he’d been left, but that all changed when he saw his friend in the human’s arms.  His eyes widened and a growl left his lips as he lunged, but the anesthesia was still in his system, and he didn’t get far.

“It’s alright,” Jack soothed.  “It’s okay. You’re okay.” 

The Doctor was easy enough to deposit on the couch.  He didn’t move; he curled into a ball and sobbed to himself.  Theta joined him, curling around him protectively and giving their abductor an exhausted glare. 

“Okay.  You guys just stay there and I’ll – what?” Jack’s heart skipped a beat when his eyes caught sight of blood that hadn’t been there that morning clinging to the light blue fabric of his shirt.  He dragged his finger through it, finding it was still wet enough to stick to his skin. It was darker, with a slight orange tint to it, and he understood immediately; that wasn’t  _ human _ blood, so how had it gotten there?

Jack finally took notice of the dampness on the back of The Doctor’s pants now.  His eyes closed, and he took a deep breath as anger washed through him; why hadn’t Ianto  _ told  _ him that Gallifreyan had been destined for sexual slavery had he not been rescued last night?  

“Hey…” He got to his knees to try and make himself look less threatening.  His eyes wandered over the aliens’ bodies, so tight with fear and anger… He wanted to reach out and touch them, to soothe away their pain and make them comfortable, but he kept his hands to himself.  “Hey… You two are safe here with me. Nice and safe. Just relax. Okay?” 

He didn’t know if he should have expected a response or not, but regardless, only silence answered him.  Theta continued to glare until his expression twisted into pure exhaustion and he dropped his head against his comrade’s shoulder.

“It’s okay,” Jack promised.  “Sleep. I’ll get blankets.” 

As he returned to their sides, blankets in hand, he looked at their now-sleeping faces, and he felt his stomach churn.  Aliens like these two were the reasons Jack had spent so many years reforming Torchwood. The few people who knew of Torchwood continued to disapprove, unable to understand that it was no longer the organization that set out to kill every last alien they came across to keep their existences hidden from ordinary civilians.  While they were still there to keep aliens away from the population, they certainly had a different method of doing so now, but sometimes… When things like this happened… 

Well, sometimes Jack had to lock his own heart away and remind himself that as hard as he could try, at the end of the day, they were probably  _ never  _ going to make much of a difference in the aliens’ lives.  


	2. Chapter 2

Ianto had indeed done as asked and brought all his notes to Jack’s home that night.  He took one look at the aliens sleeping on the couch, with only their messy hair peeking out to give them away, before he handed the paperwork to Jack and murmured, “How long have they been sleeping for?” 

“Since we got home.” Jack, who was sitting on the chair opposite the aliens, looked up from the laptop on his knees.  “They aren’t meant to sleep much, are they?” 

“No; just a few hours every now and then.” Ianto thumbed through his notes to make sure he hadn’t missed anything.  “They could go days without any sleep.” 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the only chance they’ve had to sleep in a long time.” Jack’s eyes darted to the couch, checking for any signs of the specimens having awoken.  He lowered his voice just to be safe. “You didn’t tell me Doc has been raped.” 

“Martha neglected to tell me and I’d missed it on his chart until I’d gone over it again after you let.” Ianto frowned.  “I don’t think the other one has been, though – at least, not recent enough for Martha to have noticed.” 

Jack took the paper held out in front of him.  His eyes, accustomed to spending long hours scanning all sorts of documents for Torchwood, moved quickly through the information.  He looked up again to make eye contact with Ianto. “Gallifreyans… How often do they eat?  _ What  _ do they eat?” 

“I couldn’t find anything about that, sir; as you can see, there’s already only so much known or suspected about them.”

“Their physiology is strange.” Jack tapped his thumb against his lips as he pondered.  “They’re such resilient beings but if they consume the wrong thing, it’s over for them.  If Gallifreyans  _ are  _ capable of English, I don’t think these two are, or else things could have been easier.” Rt54 

How did Ianto respond to such a comment?  He understood that Jack had done this from the goodness in his heart, and it was probably painful for him to know that there mightn’t be much he could do to help.  He changed the subject. “Dinner. Have you eaten yet?” 

“No, not yet; I have no idea what to do.” Jack cocked his head to the side.  “What do I  _ make _ ?  I could end up cooking everything in the house and they  _ still  _ might not eat it.” 

“Has anyone ever told you you can worry  _ way  _ too much, sir?” Ianto turned around and moved to the kitchen.  “I’ll handle dinner. When are you waking them up?” 

He should have gotten them up hours ago, but they were both probably so tired…  He stood up. “I’ll wake them now – let them wake up properly before they eat.” 

It went smoother in his head than it had in real life.  He’d all but pulled the blankets down before he was jumping back to avoid the fist swung at him.  He deflected it out of instinct, but despite Theta’s extremely thin build, he was still Gallifreyan, and he was  _ strong _ .  

“Hey, hey, I’m not going to hurt you,” Jack promised.  He kept his voice low, hoping it would bring comfort. “Shh…” 

He couldn’t tell if it had helped or not; the only thing that had changed was Theta’s hand moving to touch The Doctor’s temple and their eyes closing as if they –

Telepathic ability…  Jack rushed back to where he had been sitting earlier to rummage through the notes.  None of them spoke about telepathic communication, but then again, despite his own extensive research over the years, he’d never come across it, either, probably because Gallifreyans had gone “extinct” hundreds of years ago and even then when they were still plentiful, not many humans had gotten near them. 

Jack came back to the couch.  He knelt by it as he slowly put his hands onto the couch cushion.  He leant in close and spoke in a slow manner. “Are you communicating with your thoughts?” 

The aliens stared at him.  “…” 

Jack gestured to Theta’s hand, still on the Doctor’s temple.  “You are…  _ talking  _ to him, aren’t you?” 

Again, nothing changed.  Jack extended his own hand, hoping it would help them understand his questions, but before he could get it anywhere  _ near  _ Theta’s head, his wrist had been grabbed at lightning speeds and fingers that were so deceivingly thin almost crushed his bone in their grip.  

Jack winced.  He hissed in pain as he tried to disentangle the fingers from his wrist, but Theta only gripped harder.  He considered yelling out for Ianto to help, but the last thing he wanted was to get his subordinate involved with something that could potentially put him into harm’s way.  

“It’s okay…” Jack grit his teeth at the increasing pain.  “Theta… Theta, it’s  _ okay _ …  I’m not going to hurt you…” 

Against his better judgement, Jack reached out with his unrestrained hand to touch Theta’s shoulder and hope the other understood he meant no harm, but as he should have expected, doing so only made things worse.  Theta lunged with a loud snarl, throwing his entire body weight at Jack and knocking him to the ground. The strength of a Gallifreyan was no joke, and he found his mouth opening to shout for Ianto – but, before he could get the name out, the attack paused.  

“Doc…” Jack frowned.  The Doctor had gotten off the couch, too, but instead of joining in the fight, he had instead pressed his chest against Theta’s back and wrapped his arms around him tight as he dropped his head against his friend’s shoulder.  There was silence, and Jack was sure he was right in assuming they were communicating within their minds again. 

And then, Theta got off him.  He gave the human a dirty look before he took The Doctor’s hand in his own and took him back to the couch.  There was a pattern to this behavior, Jack was noticing, and while The Doctor seemed to be gentler towards humans than his counterpart, Theta’s aggression looked to only come out if he felt he or The Doctor were being threatened.  

“I don’t want to hurt  _ either  _ of you…” Jack whispered.  He had no idea if talking to them was even  _ worth  _ it; if they could understand or even acknowledge the different tones of his voice.  “Please… I just want to  _ help _ …” 

They were sitting now.  Sitting so close together, their sides were squished together on the couch that could have easily housed another person or two next to them.  Jack got to his feet, but in doing so, The Doctor’s arms shot up over his head, cowering as if he were attempting to shield himself from a blow to the head he  _ knew  _ was coming any second now.  

“Oh, please…” Jack sighed.  He wanted so badly to take those arms down and reassure his guests that they were  _ safe,  _ but he knew not to; not until they  _ trusted  _ him.  

None of them moved.  They stared off with each other for what could have been hours, until finally, The Doctor dropped his arms and started fiddling with his clothes.  He pulled the hem of his shirt upwards so he could put it into his mouth and chew as his hands fumbled over the material. 

It was the first time Jack really took notice of their clothing – if the rags could even be  _ called  _ that.  They were ripped and plenty of the fabric was missing, leaving it to look spectacularly like the aliens had gone toe-to-toe with a bear or a tiger at some point beforehand.  “What has happened to your clothing?”

No response.  Jack was starting to think that the rumours of Gallifreyans having once been versed in the English language were just that;  _ rumours _ .  But then again, it had been a very long time since they had been ‘wiped out’, their tongue had probably been void of it for longer than these two had been  _ alive _ .  

It was then Jack noticed what he had failed to see that morning in the examination rooms; scarring, almost dead centre in The Doctor’s stomach, was scarring suggesting the alien had been shot at one point.  “You poor thing; no wonder you’re so afraid of humans…” 

The Doctor turned his head away, looking down at Theta’s lap to avoid Jack’s eyes on him.  One of his hands left his shirt to instead grip at Theta’s rags and hold on for dear life. Theta moved his arm to wrap it around his companion and hold him close, and Jack just couldn’t get over how they seemed so much more  _ human  _ than alien.  

“Ianto is cooking us dinner.” Jack jerked his thumb in the direction of the kitchen.  “We don’t know what you’ll eat, but if you don’t like it, we can try and find something else for you.” 

Theta pointedly ignored the human.  He raised his hand to play with his companion’s hair, and as he did so, Jack couldn’t help but take notice of the grime the two were covered in.  He had a suspicion that if they had been human, they would have been haunted by horrible stenches. 

“When was the last time either of you had a bath?” They were going to have one tonight, whether they liked it or not.  But for now, they could sit quietly on the couch and hopefully get used to Jack’s presence until dinner was ready.

 

* * *

 

Gallifreyans were incredibly picky eaters, Jack had come to learnt.  …Or at least, that was what he had believed when Theta wouldn’t eat anything but bananas and The Doctor didn’t touch  _ anything _ presented to him.  They must have cooked just about everything in the kitchen for him, but it soon became apparent  _ why  _ he wouldn’t eat when Jack took notice of heavy sweating around his brows.  

“He’s sick…” Jack looked over his shoulder at Ianto.  “Gallifreyans are cold blooded and in this cool room, he shouldn’t be sweating at all.  No wonder he hasn’t moved since being here.” 

Ianto came to approach.  He understood now why Theta was holding his friend so tightly, his teeth bared as if  _ daring  _ either of them to  _ try  _ and get their hands on The Doctor.  “Martha should have picked up on that; I was in the room with her while she gave him a complete physical examination.” 

“Could be stress-induced,” Jack pointed out.  He looked back to Theta’s face to lock eyes with him and say, “I know you don’t want your friend to be hurt, but he’s  _ sick _ .  You need to  _ trust  _ us; we only want to  _ help  _ him.” 

Theta’s nostrils only flared more in agitation as he glared back.  “…” 

“He either doesn’t understand us, or he doesn’t  _ trust  _ us,” Ianto pointed out quietly.  “I can’t blame him if he doesn’t trust us; who knows how long they’ve been in that place for…” 

Jack sighed.  The ill alien gave a shudder, and Jack’s heart broke at the whimper that accompanied it.  He reached his hand out, but he didn’t’ try to touch the Gallifreyans; instead, he held it in the air and kept Theta’s gaze as he whispered, “It’s okay…  It’s okay… Theta… No… Not Theta… You don’t like that name, do you…?” 

Emotion flashed through Theta’s hardened eyes, so brief that  Jack would have missed it had he not been paying such close attention - perhaps Gallifreyans  _ did  _ understand English?  “…”

Jack nodded in understanding.  “I won’t call you Theta… But please…  I just want to help your friend… Trust me on this…  I’m  _ not  _ going to hurt you.” 

They stared off in what was a painful eternity until finally, Theta relented and scooted just that tiny bit away from his companion.  Jack almost let out a sigh of relief, but before he could do so, Theta’s hand was reaching for his head. His first instinct – much like Theta’s, ashamedly – was to break that hand and jump out of the way, but he forced himself to stay still; he had his suspicions as to where this was going.  

The palm that rested against his temple was cold and calloused and  _ scarred _ , but somehow, it was comforting.  Jack closed his eyes as a single word echoed through his mind, in a voice that wasn’t his own.   _ Why.   _

“Why what?” Jack whispered.  He opened his eyes to look deep into Theta’s own, but he received nothing more; it was as if the alien was waiting for a good reason as to  _ why  _ he should allow Jack so close to his friend.  He nodded, and once he’d closed his eyes again, he formed the images of him and Ianto, caring for The Doctor in his ill state and helping him get better.  Whether or not those images transferred back into Theta’s mind, he had no idea; Theta didn’t give him any reaction to believe they had done so – or perhaps, that wasn’t what the alien was after.

Jack clenched his hands.  He recalled the day previous, the exact scene where he had given his orders to have those aliens rescued and brought back to Torchwood where they would be  _ safe _ .  He thought back to situations where he himself had taken aliens home for release, the pleasantries and  _ understanding  _ that had passed between them what he focused on most.  He opened his eyes, and he whispered, “Please…” 

It was enough.  Theta pulled his hand away and looked into Jack’s eyes before he gestured to his friend.  Jack had never looked so exhausted as he grinned at Ianto. “I think he understands now. Can you get me the thermometer and wet face-washers?” 

Ianto didn’t waste any time in doing so, and by the time he’d returned, he found that Theta had moved to the other end of the couch, watching Jack like a hawk as the human laid The Doctor out on the couch and held the back of his hand to the alien’s forehead.  “Here you go, sir.” 

Jack took the thermometer and ever-so-gently slipped it past the Gallifreyan’s cold lips.  “He’s running at twenty degrees… Ianto, wipe his face down and then get him water and see if he’ll drink.” 

No matter how much time had passed, or what they’d tried, nothing seemed to be helping; The Doctor’s shaking grew worse until his teeth had begun to chatter and he was sweating uncontrollably.  All the while, Theta seemed to be growing more and more agitated, but Jack had a feeling it wasn’t directed at them. 

“It’s okay.” He had garnered the alien’s trust – at least, enough of it to be trusted with this.  His tone was no longer gentle and soothing; it was strong and confident, but it seemed to be enough to ease Theta’s stress as his shoulders visibly relaxed.  “It’s okay; we’re going to help him. Ianto, go make a tea for him – make two; one for each of them, actually.” 

From the end of the couch, Theta continued to watch over his friend.  He was prepared to attack, to get the damaged alien away from them through whatever means necessary.  He hated the way his companion trembled and whimpered at their touches, but after everything that had been done to them at the hands of humans, he wasn’t sure they’d get past the damage inflicted.  

A deep groan escaped The Doctor’s lips, and for the first time since Jack had been around the aliens, he heard the soft murmur of Gallifreyan.  He looked to Theta, amazed at how gentle he sounded whilst looking so unkempt at the same time. Jack couldn’t understand, but whatever was being said was enough for The Doctor’s body to slowly relax and his eyes to slip closed as he drifted into sleep.  

Jack looked back to Ianto.  He wiped at the alien’s damp forehead with the damp cloth as he whispered, “Let him sleep; I’ll keep an eye on him.  You can go home if you want, Ianto.” 

Ianto nodded.  He straightened up, tucking the blanket back over The Doctor as he did so.  “Call me if you need anything, sir.” 

“I’ll see you out.” It wasn’t so much as  _ wanting  _ to make sure his subordinate were to get home safe; it was more that, after the day he’d had, he needed a break from the Gallifreyans, even if it were only for a few minutes.  

But now that Ianto was leaving and the reality of the situation hit him, he realised; how was he going to get through the  _ night  _ when he didn’t even know what he was going to  _ do  _ with the aliens?  

As much as he didn’t want to think about it, Jack couldn’t help but wonder;  _ was  _ he in way over his head…?  He didn’t want to think so. 


	3. Chapter 3

The morning sun was in his face, and it left Jack in confusion; what was he doing here again?  He usually slept in his small room beneath his office. 

But whatever questions he had in his mind he was still sorting through, he quickly remembered what was going on when a loud thump from downstairs had his hand shooting down to his hip for the gun he was so rarely without.  

“Ah, right…” Jack rubbed at his face as he sat up.  He swung his legs over the bed, not sure he wanted to investigate what the aliens were doing downstairs, but knowing he needed to make sure they were okay.  

  
The journey downstairs seemed to take longer than it usually did, and he wasn’t sure it was because he was walking slower than normal, but eventually he found himself downstairs and standing in the middle of the living room, looking at the curtain rod that was now laying haphazardly on the ground.  He looked to the couch at Theta with his eyebrow raised. 

“Any ideas how that happened?” Jack wasn’t upset; he just couldn’t work out how the Gallifreyan could have possibly managed that unless he’d been trying to climb on the curtains for whatever reason.  His lips tugged into an amused smirk at the guilty expression on Theta’s face. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it; I can fix that.” 

Jack’s attention left Theta now, and instead it turned to The Doctor.  He moved to kneel by the couch and put the back of his hand on the alien’s forehead and cheeks, relieved to feel he was a bit cooler this morning.  

He stood up again.  “I’ll make breakfast.” 

Jack hadn’t been expecting to be accompanied into the kitchen, but once he heard the soft pattering of bare feet on the kitchen tiles behind him, he turned around and came face-to-face with Theta.  The alien still looked distrustful, almost angry to be standing in the same room as the human, and his teeth bared when Jack took a step towards him. 

“Don’t be scared,” Jack soothed.  He stayed where he was and pointed to the kitchen table opposite them, giving a view through the sliding glass doors into the back gardens.  “Why don’t you sit down? I’ll just be back here cooking.” 

Whether or not Theta had understood, he sat at the table with his eyes fixed on Jack, watching every movement the human made with eyes of a hawk.  He was tense, ready to flee at the first sign that he was going to be attacked again, but to his surprise, it never came; instead, he was given a cup of tea with a warm smile. 

“You’ll feel better if you drink something.  Come on; I’ve got one for Doc, too.” 

Theta followed in silence, his tea held tightly in his hands.  He stood in the door threshold as he watched Jack place his companion’s cup on the coffee table and then shake The Doctor gently until his eyes had opened.  

“Hey…” Jack gave a reassuring smile at the whimper he was greeted with.  He snaked one arm under the alien’s lower back and the other beneath his legs to pick him up and sit him on his lap so he could create a mountain of pillows for his guest to lay against.  He moved The Doctor back onto the couch and grabbed the blankets to tuck him in again. “No need to be scared. I have tea for you.” 

The Doctor’s eyes flickered behind Jack to meet Theta’s gaze.  His body was wrought by trembles again as fright overcame him, but when he received a nod in response, he swallowed thickly and looked back to the human; if  _ Theta  _ was saying it was okay…  

“Here.” Jack grabbed the cup of tea and moved it to the Gallifreyan’s lips.  He tipped it ever so slightly, just enough for the liquid to dampen those dry lips and encourage him to open his mouth.  He sighed in relief when he was finally granted entrance, and once the ill alien had drank, he took the cup away again and put it back on the coffee table.  “There we go. You’ll feel better now.” 

The Doctor groaned loudly, and the way he shifted his lower body uncomfortably, Jack could tell he was in pain.  His hand found the alien’s stomach. “Where are you hurting? I can try and make it feel better.” 

He received no reply, but the wet blood on his couch cushion told him all he needed to know; Gallifreyans were supposed to have remarkable healing capability, but  _ this  _ one appeared to have suffered so much sexual abuse, he either wasn’t healing anymore, or there was  _ too much  _ damage to heal so quickly.  He wanted to ask, to question all about it and find out what he was dealing with, but he knew not to – not while the two aliens didn’t trust him.  

He looked between them both, wondering where to go from here.  They were both still so dirty, they could use a bath and some clean clothing.  He patted his pyjama pants for his phone, but it was still upstairs. He stood.  “I’ll be back in a moment; drink your teas.” 

It would be simple, Jack knew.  He’d text Ianto and ask him to go buy clothing for his two aliens, and while he waited in the meantime, he could finally make a start on breakfast now that his guests had something to drink.  Once Ianto arrived with the clothes, they could get the Gallifreyans into the tub and scrub them down until every spec of dirt was gone from their bodies. 

…At least, he  _ hoped  _ it would be a simple.  Only time would tell him that for certain.  

 

* * *

 

“Come on,  _ please? _ ” Jack sighed tiredly as he tugged once again at Theta’s hand.  Ianto was downstairs on standby, but it was looking more and more likely that Jack was going to need his help getting Theta into the bathtub.  “It’s  _ just  _ a bath; I  _ promise _ .” 

But what  _ else  _ has he been promised, Jack realised.  How many times had he been told one thing, only for the opposite to be done to him?  Theta probably had good reason to be wary, and if it had anything to do with The Doctor, he could completely understand.  

He dropped the alien’s hand now.  “Doc, I know why you can’t trust me just yet…  But I  _ swear  _ to you I don’t want to hurt you.  I just want to clean you up a bit and make you more comfortable.”

Theta’s feet moved forward until he was finally pushing past Jack and into the bathroom.  His glare seemed more agitated as he shuffled his feet, but Jack caught on quickly; for reasons he was sure he’d never understand, the Gallifreyan had finally given up resisting.  Had he learnt it earned him less pain if he obeyed, however unwillingly? 

Jack felt defeated already, and he probably looked as discontented as he felt because when he approached Theta to walk past him and fill the tub with water, the alien hissed and bared his body for a fight.  He ignored the stressed male’s behaviour and continued on his journey, and it seemed to be enough for Theta to learn that there was no need to feel so threatened in this moment as his body relaxed and he simply looked confused.

Probably confused about why he didn’t get his ass kicked, Jack realised.  He grinded his teeth at the thought as he leant down to turn the taps on. While the bath was filling, he turned around and moved to help take the rags from the frail body before him.  He couldn’t keep the bitterness from his voice as he muttered, “Whatever they did to you and your friend, you’re  _ not  _ going to get the same treatment  _ here _ .” 

Theta blinked slowly, as if he were trying to process the information.  Jack made eye contact with him, captivated by those large, brown eyes that seemed to convey so much, yet so little at the same time.  “…” 

Jack pulled the ragged shirt from over Theta’s head with ease, much to his surprise; he had expected a battle, but from each interaction he had with Theta, he was slowly learning that whoever had had the two Gallifreyans previously had almost succeeded in training Theta into unwilling compliance.  “I know it’s not going to be easy for you to believe, but not  _ every  _ human wants to hurt you.  Some of us only want to  _ help _ .  Take your pants off; I’ll be back in a second.” 

When he returned with extra face-washers in hand, Theta had undressed and sat himself in the bath.  Jack wasted no time in wetting one of the clothes and beginning to scrub, despite the bathtub barely even filled.  

It was horrible.  The water had become so filthy in just minutes, Jack had drained it and refilled it four times before the water finally stayed clear.  It was testimony to how horrid the aliens’ living conditions had been, and if Theta was this dirty, he didn’t want to know just how grimy The Doctor was going to be.  

Finally, Theta had been scrubbed raw on every inch of his body, and after Jack had helped him dress in a brand new pin-striped suit, he grabbed the razer and shaved all of the fuzz from his guest’s face and combed his hair.  It was unbelievable the difference a good grooming had made; without the ragged Neanderthal appearance, Theta was a rather good-looking man, and it made Jack’s stomach churn; if Torchwood hadn’t gotten in when they had, who knows where these poor Gallifreyans would have ended up.  

“Okay, Doc.” Recalling what he’d been told about Theta responding to his companion’s name as well, Jack was making a point to use it for Theta as well – whatever it took to garner the damaged specimen’s trust.  “I’m gonna go give your friend a bath now. Ianto will help me, but we aren’t going to hurt him. I promise.” 

If Jack believed Theta at the very least understood what he said, the fact that Theta didn’t react when The Doctor started thrashing and crying out as Jack scooped him up off the couch only solidified it.  Sure, the alien shadowed them back to the bathroom and observed closely as the humans struggled with undressing him and getting him into the water, and though his hands clenched and his body tensed in anger, he stayed where he was out of the way, as if he knew what was happening right now was  _ good  _ for his companion.  

“Jack, that’s a lot of blood…” 

Jack shook his head as he reached into the water to drain the red liquid.  “He must have broken his stitches… I’ll get Owen to come and stitch them again.”   

He hated the way The Doctor was so scared, he couldn’t even  _ try  _ to get away; he was just accepting his fate, his body trembling as he hid his face against Jack’s chest and cried.  

“Makes you wonder how long they were there for…” Ianto muttered as he rubbed the wash-cloth as gently as he could along a back so scarred, there was no doubt in his mind the poor thing trembling in Jack’s arms had been tortured.  

Jack nodded stiffly.  “Long enough… They’re both damaged in their own ways…” 

Like with Theta, The Doctor required many water drainages and a good grooming before he, too, had been dressed in his new clothing.  He was still shaking, but his tears had long-since stopped, as if he’d run out of them and couldn’t shed them any longer. He didn’t react when Jack scooped him up again and carried him back to the couch, and though he writhed a little when he felt the human putting a wash-cloth in his pants against his rear, he relaxed when Theta joined him on the couch again, his companion’s cool body comforting greatly as it curled around him and held him close.  

Jack looked to Ianto.  “What do we do with them now?  We can’t just leave them on the couch all day every day.” 

“Well, sir, you could bring them back to Torchwood and let them get used to everyone,” Ianto suggested.  “Especially since it’d be good for them to get as much positive interaction with people as possible – help them learn they’re  _ safe _ .” 

Jack nodded.  It probably _ would  _ be good for them, especially since he spent the majority of his time at work anyway and they’d have to get used to being there sooner or later.   He lowered his voice. “Theta might be okay, but it’s causing Doc pain to move. I have a feeling that the reason he needs stitches aren’t the only thing that’s hurting him.” 

“I would not be surprised; he’s been put through hell.  He can always lay down on the couch if he needs it, sir.” 

Jack hummed in agreement.  Well, he  _ was  _ supposed to be back at work today, and he’d only been at the house in the first place as he’d been visiting long-distance family…  “Take those blankets and pillows and take them to the SUV; I’ll get them outside.” 

Ianto did as instructed.  He waited outside and adjusted a pillow onto the backseat for The Doctor to sit on, but once he heard loud growling, he looked over the SUV and found that Theta had objections about getting into the car again and wasn’t coming quietly.  

“Someone doesn’t want to leave,” Ianto pointed out.  

“No…” Jack looked over his shoulder at Theta.  “But he’s going to keep following his friend.” 

As suspected, Theta begrudgingly got into the car as well, if only to pull The Doctor into his arms and shield him from the humans.  Neither Gallifreyan made a sound; they only clung to each other in distress as Ianto and Jack conversed quietly throughout the drive until they had finally parked the car and  _ somehow,  _ they had gotten the aliens into the hub with minimal resistance.  

It went better than Jack and Ianto had anticipated; it seemed that as long as Jack was carrying the fragile alien, Theta was going to follow, even if that meant having to push past a new group of humans who seemed bent on examining every inch of him. 

“Doc?” Jack pointed out three of his subordinates once Theta’s attention had fixed on him again.  “This is Tosh, Owen and Gwen. They work for me, too – and you lot, leave him  _ alone;  _ he isn’t some specimen for you to poke and prod.  Come on, Doc. Let’s get to my office.” 

Despite the layout of the base consisting of so many uneven levels, Jack’s office was high enough up that they had privacy even with all of the windows.  He wasted no time in taking The Doctor to the couch and laying him down on it, leaving enough room for Ianto to finish up with the pillows and blankets. 

Theta seemed lost, as if he just couldn’t figure out what he was supposed to do with himself now.  He stood awkwardly by the door, his feet shuffling as he looked around at his new surroundings, but he never moved until Jack had come to his side and guided him to the couch.  

They all stayed where they were, staring at each other in silence.  No one seemed to know what to do or say, until finally, Jack cleared the uncomfortable hush with the clearing of his throat.  

“You two are welcome to wander around,” he explained.  “You can go wherever you like – as long as there are  _ doors  _ you can push open.  Don’t play around with the passcodes or try to force open any doors or else you’re going to put us into lockdown and trap us.  Ianto, get them some tea, will you?” 

The Doctor remained as unresponsive at the hub as he had at Jack’s home.  He didn’t move, not even for tea; he just lay on the couch, cuddled in against Theta’s chest as he trembled.  Jack didn’t bother them for the rest of the day; he left them to do their own thing – which, admittedly, wasn’t much at all. 


	4. Chapter 4

When the screeching of alarms ripped Jack from slumber, his first instinct was to snatch his gun from its place between the wall and the mattress and jump out of bed to find who had intruded into the hub.  However, he hadn’t needed to get very far at all to have worked out that, with the couch void of any Gallifreyans, the aliens had set the alarms off. 

He cursed under his breath as he felt around his office for his desk to retrieve a flashlight; the building was on lockdown, and with the alarms blasting throughout the hub, every other source of power had been cut, leaving him in the dark and trapped down there.  

The alarms were the first thing he attended to.  The second was calling UNIT for help, and after they’d gotten over their initial amusement, they’d dispatched help to get the hub out of lockdown.  His third and final task was to find the Gallifreyans, and in complete darkness, it wasn’t going to be easy. 

“Doc?”  Jack wasn’t sure he’d ever searched his base so diligently before, but then again, he’d never had to search for aliens hiding in total darkness in the hub before.  He sighed. “Doc, come out; I just need to make sure you’re both okay.” 

They weren’t going to come out, so who was he trying to fool?  They were  _ terrified  _ of him, and if they could understand – which he was fairly certain they  _ could  _ – they had tripped all those alarms, they were probably desperate to remain undetected.  

At least, he’d had that mindset until his foot had caught and he’d tumbled down to the ground with a loud yell as his ankle broke.  He had opened his mouth, ready to shout obscenities in frustration, but he quickly shut it again when he felt a hand ghost over his back, as if they wanted to touch him but didn’t know if they should.  

“Oww…” He hissed as he rolled onto his back and shone his flashlight above him, finding the aliens crouched between two desks.  Theta’s teeth were bared, and he looked on edge, but Jack could still make out concern on The Doctor’s features beneath all that fear.  He forced a smile onto his face and made sure to speak calmly. “That’s why I told you both not to play with passcodes.” 

The Doctor ducked his head and hugged himself as he fell back to sit against his heels.  His mouth opened and closed wordlessly, and Jack realised he was waiting for his punishment.  

“Hey…” Despite the pain in his ankle, Jack still reached his hand out ever so slowly until it was resting against the frightened alien’s shoulder.  He heard Theta snarl from behind, but he paid no heed; his attention focused only on the way The Doctor stiffened beneath his touch, freezing in place with a look of pure panic on his face.  He made sure to keep his voice firm, but with that undertone of kindness he had been mindful of using with these two. “Doc. Look at me. You are  _ not  _ in trouble –  _ either  _ of you.  It was an accident, and you didn’t mean it.” 

The Doctor still didn’t raise his head, not until Jack had let out a groan as he foolishly rolled his ankle to see how bad it was.  The alien scrambled forward, his hand outstretched and hovering just above the human’s shoulder while conflict crossed his face. 

Jack understood, and his tone left no room for argument as he commanded, “You are  _ allowed  _ to touch.  You do  _ not  _ need my permission to do so; if you want to put your hands on me, you put your hands on me.”

The Doctor looked back to Theta, as if to ask if he should believe the human or not.  When he received a stiff nod after careful consideration, he bit his lip hard as he finally allowed his now-shaking hand to settle against Jack’s shoulder.  

Jack allowed himself to soften again now.  “I’m okay. Thank you, Doc.”

He tried getting to his feet, but as soon as he put weight on his injured ankle, he felt himself crashing towards the floor once again.  He didn’t hit it, though; strong arms had caught him midway and the next thing he knew, he was being clutched against a chest far too cold for any human in good health.  

He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could do so, soft Gallifreyan filled the room and Jack suspected The Doctor was speaking Theta’s name.  If he were, he knew he was never going to be able to pronounce it himself and whatever intention he may have had further down the line to rename them both vanished; if they were accustomed to Doctor, perhaps it was best to leave it rather than confuse them more by adding a third name into the mix.  

The aliens were arguing, or at least it sounded as if they were.  The syllables Jack suspected of being Theta’s true name were spoken again, and then they seemed to hiss their words as if they were having a large disagreement.  

Jack could have been wrong, but he had a feeling that The Doctor had won the argument because, as reluctantly as he had been ever since Jack had found them, he approached to stand on Jack’s other side and help The Doctor move him back towards the office.

“Wait.  Take me downstairs; UNIT is sending someone out to reverse the lockdown.” The aliens stopped, but they didn’t turn around; they only gave him confused looks.  Jack sighed. He pointed his flashlight over his shoulder. “Go the other way, down the stairs.” 

They obeyed now.  They turned around and kept walking until they’d gotten haphazardly down the stairs in the dark (with a tumble from The Doctor that had left him shaken although otherwise unharmed due to his resilience as a Gallifreyan).  It was when they’d gotten to the ground floor and seated Jack at one of the desks did The Doctor turn his anxious expression towards Theta and wring his hands together in his nervousness. 

_ He’s going to hurt us when his ankle is better…  _ Their mental link was the only thing keeping The Doctor from an emotional breakdown; soft Gallifreyan could flow together within their minds and no human would know any differently.  

The flashlight was pointed away from Jack, leaving it hard to make out the human’s form in the darkness.  Theta’s eyes still narrowed, and their tongue bellowed throughout The Doctor’s head, just as it had taken to doing ever since they had been captured by humans all that time ago.  Theta was angry, The Doctor understood. Angry at everyone around him, but most of all himself.  _ If he tries to, he has to get past  _ me  _ first.  _

It was a comfort, still having his companion by his side after everything they had been through.  He stepped closer until his side was pressed into Theta’s chest and thin arms had wrapped around him to hold him close.  He closed his eyes and soaked in the relief that came with knowing Theta would never hurt him the way the humans could. Gallifreyan spilled from his lips as he murmured a name he knew no human would ever pronounce with ease, and the arms around him tightened in response.  

They probably would have relocated away from Jack had they been able to see where they were going in the darkness, but instead they’d stayed close by until someone had arrived and the power had been put back on.  They’d left quickly after that, but not before The Doctor could look back at Jack and make sure the newcomer wasn’t going to hurt him. 

“Why do you care what happens to him?” 

They’d gotten back to Jack’s office again to curl up on the couch they’d been on all day.  The Gallifreyan that filled the room was full of bitterness and loathing, and when The Doctor looked into those eyes he knew so well, his hearts broke at the unending pain he knew never belonged in eyes that had once displayed nothing but gentleness.  

He replied back softly in their tongue.  “I don’t want him to be hurt…” 

Theta pulled away from the hand that had anxiously begun picking at the fabric of his new overcoat.  His nose scrunched up and his teeth bared as he hissed, “He’s a  _ human _ …” 

The Doctor looked away.  He couldn’t make eye contact anymore as he whispered, “He is a living 

being…” 

Theta’s body trembled now.  The Doctor moved closer, curling up into those arms to radiate as much comfort as he could.  He could understand the resentment his companion now held for human beings. He knew he himself would be justified in sharing in all that bitterness, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so.  He was in pain, yes. Of course he was; he couldn’t  _ not  _ be.  But honestly, to see Theta’s kindness and gentle nature stripped away from him at the hands of humans…  

Well,  _ one  _ of them had to remain strong for the other, and if it couldn’t be Theta, it was going to have to be him.  

* * *

 

When Jack stumbled back into his office with the aid of a steel pole in place of a crutch, The Doctor’s body instinctively tensed, and with a whimper, he pressed himself back into Theta’s body, trying to put as much distance between he and the pole as he possibly could.  He felt Theta’s arms embrace him desperately tight amidst the snarl right by his ear, but he quickly understood as he watched the way Jack avoided using his foot as much as possible. 

“You guys still awake?” Jack felt awkward.  He knew it was a stupid question; it was normal for the aliens to sleep only a handful of hours every now and then, but what else did one say to two extra-terrestrials who were looking at him like he was a convicted axe-murderer with a bloodied weapon in hand.  

“…” The Doctor’s shaking body rolled over so his back was to the human and he could press his face into Theta’s chest.  

Jack opened his mouth to speak again, but as he noticed the way Theta was salivating heavily in his distress, he decided against it.  He nodded and walked the rest of the way to the hatch to get to bed. He didn’t know how he’d managed to get down the ladder with one broken foot, but somehow, he’d accomplished it.  He’d have to remember to get Ianto to work out how to get him  _ out  _ again in the morning, but for now, he just needed to sleep.  

Above him, the Gallifreyans didn’t close their eyes, but unlike earlier, they didn’t move; they just laid together as they’d been doing since their arrival into Jack’s care.  


	5. Chapter 5

The morning came quickly, and after a few hours of the hub bustling with activity, the Gallfireyans had gathered the courage to leave the safety of their couch.  It wasn’t that they  _ wanted  _ to socialise, but naturally, as Gallifreyans, their energy pools were much higher than humans and sitting still for so long was difficult.  

Theta had to admit, as stressed as he had initially been when The Doctor had requested to leave the room, with the way the humans left them alone, it became easier over time for him to relax.  He kept The Doctor’s hand clutched tightly into his own, never letting go for even a second, as his companion poked and prodded everything they came across and murmured about human technology under his breath.  

From where everyone’s work desks were centred, Owen regarded the aliens from over the rim of his coffee before he looked to Jack and muttered, “You don’t think they’re  _ more  _ than friends, do you?” 

Jack raised his eyebrow at the question.  He looked away from where he’d been discussing the latest disappearance with Tosh, and with his gaze settled firmly onto Owen’s, he enunciated, “Does it matter if they are?  They aren’t hurting anyone.”

Owen kept their gaze for several seconds before he looked away and muttered, “No.  Of course not.” 

Jack didn’t break his glare until he was certain Owen knew he wasn’t impressed with the question.  Instead, he glanced back at Tosh’s screen briefly before his attention was grabbed by their newest recruit entering the hub, clumsy and apologetic in her late appearance.  

“I’m so sorry, I overslept and I – oh…”  She’d bent down to pick up the items she’d knocked from a shelf with her flailing, but when her hand met the cool flesh of another, she looked up in puzzlement and found herself face-to-face with another male she didn’t recognise at all.  She smiled and allowed him to pick the items up himself as she stood and extended her hand to greet him. “Hello. Gwen Cooper.” 

The Doctor avoided all eye contact.  His cheeks reddened and his smile was shy, but he didn’t shake the outstretched hand; he didn’t know to.   He clutched the fallen items to his chest for a few moments more before he finally thrust them back to her and hurried away to be back at Theta’s side.  

Gwen smiled to herself as she replaced the items on the desk and closed the distance between she and her co-workers.  She glanced back in the direction of the two newcomers before she asked, “We got new workers, Jack?” 

Jack shook his head.  “They’re the aliens Tosh and Owen retrieved the other night.”

Gwen’s eyes widened now as she recalled the conversation she had Tosh had had about it.  “The Gallifreyans? I thought you were going to leave them at your house?” 

“I was, but I’m rarely there,” Jack pointed out.  “I think they’re okay here; they stick to themselves.” 

The humans’ attention had all turned back to what the aliens were up to now.  They watched in silence as The Doctor tugged at his tie again, his face twisted into a displeased frown as he attempted to get it from his neck.  Theta had reached out, his lips moving silently as he gently pried his companion’s hands from the fabric and tightened the knot once again. Theta didn’t move away again; not until he had placed a soft kiss on The Doctor’s forehead.  

“He doesn’t like that tie very much,” Gwen pointed out.

“It doesn’t go with his outfit.” Jack locked gazes with Ianto now.  “You couldn’t have picked his clothing a little more seriously?” 

Ianto shifted and looked away.  “Well, at the time, I…”

“It doesn’t matter.  Doctor!” Jack stood up and called for the aliens.  They both were wary, but they made no move to escape as Jack approached.  He waited until he was standing before them before he reached out ever-so-slowly to The Doctor’s tie and murmured, “If you don’t like this, you don’t have to wear it.  We can find something else for you instead.” 

The Doctor looked to his feet.  His body was tensed and shaking, but with the obvious fear of Jack, he still reached out and ghosted his hand against Jack’s, as if he wanted to push it away but had been taught better.  Theta remained still throughout all this, as if he were on standby for when his companion were to be hit. 

“Doc…” Jack made sure to use his assertive voice for this.  “Doc, if you don’t like something, you don’t have to put yourself through it.  If you don’t like the tie, you can take it off. You  _ don’t  _ have to wear it if you don’t want to.” 

It wasn’t going to be as simple as telling them it was okay, Jack knew he should have already learnt.  Whatever they’d been put through was going to be engrained in their minds for a long time, and perhaps talking  _ wasn’t  _ the way to go about things with the Gallifreyans.  

The whimper and flinch The Doctor made as Jack set about gently undoing the tie was heart-clenching, but Jack said nothing about it until he was holding the material in his hand and showing it to the aliens.  “See? Is that better?” 

The Doctor shook his head.  His body gave a violent tremble before he backed away to hide behind Theta.  Though they remained silent, Jack had a suspicion they were communicating on their telepathic wavelength as they were oddly still for the situation.  

Jack turned to leave them alone, to go back to his co-workers and give them their instructions for the day.  Before he could leave, however, the back of his jacket had been grabbed and he turned around once more, finding Theta slowly pulling his hand back to his body with a scowl on his face. 

“What’s wrong?” Jack understood when a slender finger was pointed at the tie and the uncomfortableness he could see in Theta’s expression increased.  He passed the tie back to Theta, not surprised when it was snatched from his grip and stuffed into a pocket in his overcoat. 

He liked ties, Jack was quickly coming to understand.  He made a mental note to send Ianto to find more of them as his feet finally carried him back to his friends.  

“He stopped you leaving.” 

Jack nodded at Ianto.  “Yes. He did.” 

“He took the tie back.” Ianto was in disbelief, and Jack could understand why; from what they had seen of the Gallifreyans since their arrival, they were both too afraid of humans to have been able to ask for something, especially the way Theta had.  

Jack nodded again.  “He did. We need to get him more ties.  And find something Doc likes – make him look snazzy.” 

“Sir, no one uses that word anymore.”

“Well, I just did.  Go get the car ready; we’ll take them into town.”

His co-workers looked at him as if he’d grown a second head.  It was Tosh who voiced her concerns. “Sir, you can’t take them into town; you’ll lose them or they’ll freak out.” 

Jack waved a dismissive hand.  “They’ll be okay; Ianto and I will be with them.  It’ll probably do them some good, anyway.” 

“Or  _ damage  _ them further,” Owen pointed out.  “It’s so soon; they aren’t even used to  _ you  _ yet.  You could really hurt them.” 

A storm brewed in Jack’s eyes, and when he spoke, his voice conveyed his deeply-concealed pain.  “Don’t I  _ already  _ hurt everyone?” 

There was silence.  Everyone shared uncomfortable looks; for Jack to have lowered his walls in such a way, he was probably stressed enough as it was and didn’t need them adding to it all.  No one said anything as they watched Jack approach the aliens once again; they observed from a distance the way they cowered at him, despite how slow and  _ gentle  _ he was.  

“Do you guys want to come into town?” It was a strange thing for Jack to try and keep his tone low and non-threatening, and he wondered if he were failing at it or he was just an intimidating person in general as it seemed no matter how hard he tried with these aliens, they were terrified of him.  “We can get you some new ties.”

The Doctor had his back to Jack, and if the Gallifreyans were communicating through telepathy, he couldn’t tell.  Perhaps they were, because Theta was the first of the two to step closer, as if he knew better than to disobey. Jack wanted to comment on it, to tell them that they didn’t have to come if they didn’t want to, but he knew not to overload them – not while they were still adjusting to people who  _ didn’t  _ want to hurt them. 

For now, all that mattered was garnering the aliens’ trust.  

 

* * *

 

Jack was sure he’d made the right choice in avoiding large shopping malls and instead taking the Gallifreyans to a small chain to get them more clothes.  He’d had a feeling it would panic them to be in such a large, busy setting, so to see them able to wander off by themselves to the back of the store took a weight off his shoulders.  

“How many sets of clothing did you buy for them?” Jack enquired as he and Ianto followed them further into the store.  

“Not many; just a couple to get them through the day,” Ianto admitted.  

“Then we may as well get them more while we’re here.” Jack glanced to where the aliens were, finding them scrutinising a mannequin as if they anticipated a surprise attack from it.  He hated to think about it, but they probably  _ did _ .  

He wondered just how much humanity those Gallifreyans held.  Was  _ looking  _ like a human the only similarities the two species shared?  From what Jack had observed from the ones in his care, Theta at the very least was feral and unsocialised towards humans.  The Doctor, on the other hand, now that he was away from the hands of the humans he was so afraid of, could have been mistaken for a child in a candy shop where he stood with a bowtie in his hand, showing it to Theta.  

“You ever wonder how aliens would be without the abuse humans tend to put them through?” Jack folded his arms against his chest and leant against a wall as he eyed Ianto.  “This is the first time I could mistake them for human.”

Ianto nodded.  “They look…  _ happy _ .” 

“Probably because there’s no one else around making them feel as if they’re threatened.” It was tragic, but really, what else could do they?  They’d done everything they could by getting the aliens away and giving them another chance at life; they couldn’t change the past for  _ anyone,  _ so they may as well try to make the future a good one.  “You keep looking for clothing; I’ll see if they’ll let me near them now.” 

Whatever comfortability the Gallifreyans had displayed steadily decreased into nervousness with Jack’s approach until they were standing in the same small circle and The Doctor was looking past Jack’s face to the wall behind to avoid all eye contact.    

Jack took a deep breath before he murmured as kindly as he could and pointed at the dress accessory, “We call those bowties.  Do you like it, Doc?” 

The aliens looked to each other.  Theta glared while The Doctor’s hands simply started shaking, but he never let go of the bowtie; he only clutched it tighter. 

Jack hummed before he reached out and pulled another bowtie from the rack, just like the one the Gallifreyan held.  He unlooped it from its hanger before he held it out between he and The Doctor. “May I put this on you and see what it looks like?” 

Finally, he was acknowledged.  The Doctor gave a nod so tiny, Jack would have missed it had he not been watching carefully.  He hummed a little as he moved his hands slowly, trying to keep them in The Doctor’s line of sight at all times, and though the alien cringed at the proximity, he kept his eyes scrunched closed and his body tense, ready for flight if Jack’s hands deviated from the way he was ever-so-gently fitting the bowtie on him.

“There.” Jack pulled his hands away and stepped back.  He gestured to the body-length mirror off to their side.  “Have a look. Do you like it?” 

With trepidation, The Doctor crept over to the mirror to look at his reflection.  Jack watched as his expression morphed from anxiety to a giant smile that crinkled his eyes as he reached up to pat his bowtie.  Theta gave Jack a wary look before he approached his companion and looked closely at it as well. 

“You like it?” Jack was relieved as the two turned back to him, with just a tiny bit more of comfort on their faces.  He smiled as he received a nod in response, and as he watched The Doctor’s hands fidget with the accessory, he gestured to the rows of bowties.  “Do you want to get more? What colours do you like? Wait, how about this? How about we get one of every pattern for you?”

Finally, The Doctor’s eyes glinted with happiness.  He clung tightly to the packaged bowtie he hadn’t once let go of as he took as many bowties as he could carry into his arms.  He wanted more, but he couldn’t accomplish that without dropping everything he had, and his expression fell as disappointment crossed his face.

Jack chuckled.  He called over his shoulder to Ianto who had, by now, made his way to the other side of the store to look at underwear.  “Ianto, ask for a bag to carry all this stuff, please.”

Ianto did as told, and when he’d brought over the plastic bag he had been given, Jack helped fill it to the brim with bowties.  “Bowties, sir?” 

Jack nodded.  “He likes bowties.  Look how good he looks in them.” 

A slight blush crossed The Doctor’s cheeks, and he looked to his feet to escape their gazes.  “…”

“What about Theta?” Ianto murmured so the aliens couldn’t hear them.  “We can’t let him feel left out.” 

“Doc, what do _ you  _ want?” Jack turned to look at Theta, and he did his best to look as welcoming as possible.  “You like ties, don’t you? Like the one you’re wearing now?” 

Theta’s nod was stiff, and Jack had a suspicion it was that question alone that gave Theta the courage to turn around and move down the aisle to sift through the tie rack.  Jack followed him, knowing to give him more distance than he had to with The Doctor. 

“We can get you as many ties as you want,” Jack promised.  “Pick out the ones you like and put them in the bag. If you see anything else you like, you can have it.  Ianto and I are going to go back to looking, as well. Come and find us when you’re finished.” 

It was a pleasant surprise how easy their shopping trip went.  The Gallifreyans picked out their new clothing quietly, and while they stood in silence by the registers while Jack helped the cashier scan everything, Ianto watched them with a careful eye. 

Theta was relaxing, he could see.  Theta was slowly coming around to the idea that they weren’t here to be hurt, but The Doctor still looked anxious as he fidgeted with his bowtie.  

“Can you scan that one twice, please?  He still has two of the red ones.” Jack nodded over his shoulder at the aliens to show the woman the bowties The Doctor was still in possession of.

“They’ll be different barcodes, sir; I’ll have to scan at least one of them.”

“They’re the same price, though.”

She gave an apologetic frown.  “Sorry… But it’s store policy – inventory and all…” 

Jack sighed.  He  _ could  _ send Ianto back to find another red one with the barcode on it, but he was sure they’d gotten the last two already.  He bit at his lip before he nodded and took slow steps to The Doctor. He did his best to look welcoming as he pointed at the bowtie in the alien’s hands.  “May I borrow that for just one second? The lady needs to scan it.”

The Doctor whimpered and held his bowtie tighter to his chest.  He shook his head. “…”

“I’m going to give it straight back to you; I promise.  I don’t want to keep it.” 

It was Theta taking the bowtie from his companion’s hands and passing it to Jack that stunned everyone – apparently even The Doctor, as he seemed to have frozen completely.

And then, it begun.

Jack slapped his hands over his ears at the deafening scream that threatened to collapse the roof in on them.  He almost threw the bowtie at the cashier for her to scan it, but as quickly as it had started, it ended and The Doctor’s screaming morphed into sobs as he nuzzled his companion’s palms and allowed soft Gallifreyan to be whispered to him.  

“Doc…?” Jack had had more bravery for hordes of aliens attempting to kill him; here he was, holding the bowtie out like a peace offering as he silently pleaded with whatever higher being was listening that The Doctor wasn’t going to start screaming again.  “Here. This is yours. I told you I’d give it back to you.” 

The Doctor sniffed back tears as he retrieved his treasure.  He let his side fall into Theta’s chest so the arms he knew so well could wrap around him.  

Jack felt as if he shouldn’t be privy to this scene of intimacy.  It was so familiar, yet so different, and something about it told him he shouldn’t be staring.  He cleared his throat and turned back to the casher. “I’m sorry. What was the total?” 

He swiped his card as he rattled an excuse of his poor, autistic cousin who didn’t do well with things being taken off him before he gestured for Ianto to grab the bags and he turned around to make sure the aliens were following them.  

“Let’s take them back to the hub,” Jack instructed once everyone was seated safely in the SUV.  “They’ve had enough for one day.” 

Ianto nodded.  He slipped the gear into first as he looked for oncoming traffic before he pulled out of the park.  “What are you going to do with them permanently, sir? There isn’t much room for them to stay at the hub long-term.” 

“I know.  But it’s the best I can do for them right now.” Jack looked over at the aliens in his backseat.  Theta was staring out of the window, seemingly lost in thought, but The Doctor looked very content fumbling his bowtie in his hands, as if he just couldn’t get enough of it.  

Jack couldn’t help but smile, but it quickly dissolved; he couldn’t let himself get attached to them at any costs, no matter  _ how  _ human they looked because though it looked as if Jack could keep them safe for the time being, there was no promise he would still be looking after them in a weeks’ time if anyone found out what he was doing.  

 


	6. Chapter 6

Jack wasn’t sure if it were a Gallifreyan thing or the two aliens he had been caring for just had too much energy, but as the weeks dragged on and they started coming out of their shells a little, Jack wasn’t sure if the hub was the right place for them after all as neither alien knew how to stay still.

“Tosh, have you gone back and checked surveillance?” Jack knew she hadn’t; The Doctor had been sitting with her for an hour now, showing her his blue bowtie and murmuring in broken English.  “Owen and Gwen are reading reports for me.” 

Tosh spun around in her chair to face her computer again.  Her keys tapped away at the keyboard as she shook her head.  “No, not yet; I was talking to The Doctor.” 

“So I’ve noticed,” Jack teased.  “He’s very – oh…” 

It was the first time since their arrival the aliens had willingly reached out to touch someone.  Jack’s eyes widened slightly as he observed the way The Doctor shyly pulled his hand away from where his fingertips had ghosted against Jack’s shoulder.  He looked down and fumbled his long fingers together before he whispered, “Tea…?” 

Jack nodded.  He instinctively reached out to put his hand on The Doctor’s shoulder, but he thought better of it when he was received with a cringe.  “You can have tea. I’ll make it for you.” 

A tiny small crossed The Doctor’s face now as he followed behind the human at a safe distance.  He clapped his hands together when they climbed the stairs and stopped by the coffee station, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Theta was still close by.  He tugged ever so softly at Jack’s shirt, and when Jack looked at him, he pointed down to his companion. “Tea, too…?” 

It was hard to know just how well the aliens could speak English.  While they seemed to understand it well enough, they never spoke it fluently.  Whether or not it was anxiety or lack of understanding, Jack wasn’t sure he’d ever know.  “Of course he can have tea, sweetheart. I’ll show you how to make it and you can help yourself – whenever you want it, you can have it.”

The way The Doctor’s eyes lit up made Jack’s heart skip a beat as hope that the alien could overcome what had happened filled him.  He cleared his throat and turned his attention to the coffee station, showing his charge how to make a cup of tea. 

“Jack…” 

Jack looked at The Doctor.  It was the first time either Gallifreyan had spoken his name, but it was enough for Jack to feel that whatever they were doing was helping them in  _ some  _ way.  “Yes, Doc?” 

The Doctor took his cup and watched as Jack handled Theta’s.  He licked his lips and looked away. “…”

Jack broke the silence.  “What is your friend’s name?  In Gallifreyan, I mean. Would it make you more comfortable if we called you both by your real names?” 

He shook his head.  “Not say it…” 

“Not say it?  Oh, you think we can’t pronounce it?” 

The Doctor nodded.  “Too hard… Humans… Humans…  Gallifreyan too hard…” 

“But you understand English?” Jack lead the alien down to where Theta was trying to put together a broken desk.

The alien nodded.  “Umm… Long time… Knew English…  Gallifrey teach… We leave; we forget…  U-umm… Friend… Friend is better…” 

“Friend?  You mean Theta?” 

The Doctor flinched.  His hands shook as he whispered, “No like Theta…  Theta bad…”

“Because they were hurting him when he was Theta?” 

“Yeah…” 

“What should we call him then?”  When The Doctor remained silent, Jack gently suggested, “But  _ we  _ won’t hurt him, even if we do call him Theta.  You don’t mind us calling you  _ Doctor,  _ do you?” 

A tiny smile crossed his face as he whispered, “Like Doctor…  Doctor good…” 

Jack smiled back.  He now knew a little more about the Gallifreyans, and from what he could gather, they had left their planet and seemed to have isolated themselves away from human contact perhaps centuries ago.  It would explain their poor grasp of the English language and why they were so neurotic around people – but even then, that still didn’t explain how they had come to be at an auction. 

He almost wanted to ask how that happened, but The Doctor was smiling, and the last thing he wanted was to take that away from him.  He changed the subject. “Can  _ I  _ call him Theta?  Only while I’m talking to people about him?  I never want to hurt him, Doctor. I promise.” 

The Doctor looked hesitant, but finally he nodded, as if he trusted Jack  _ just  _ enough to keep his word.  He sipped at his tea as they stopped by Theta, and he watched with wary eyes as his companion was passed his own drink.  

“Here; I made one for you, too,” Jack said gently as Theta gave a distrusting look to the cup.  

The Doctor moved close enough to lean against Theta’s chest as he finally accepted his drink.  He sipped again, enjoying the warm arms that wrapped around him. Their foreheads pressed together as Gallifreyan passed through their minds.

_ Did he hurt you?  _ Despite not speaking vocally, there was still panic in their telepathic link.  

_ No.  He showed me how to make tea.  He’s… a nice human… _

_ For  _ now _ maybe.   _ Theta’s eyes scanned Jack’s form before he put his cup down and grabbed The Doctor’s shoulders.   _ If he hurts you, I’ll…   _

The Doctor flinched.  Their telepathic link faltered as his eyes clouded and memories surged through his mind for almost a minute until Theta was able to battle them away.  He gave a defeated sigh and dropped his face to hide against Theta’s chest.  _ I don’t want to keep remembering… Please…  Stop making me remember… I don’t think Jack wants to do that to me…   _

Theta didn’t reply for the longest time, but when he did, it was in the form of a kiss to his companion’s head.  He ruffled The Doctor’s hair as he glared at Jack. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse and scratchy from disuse, but Jack could still hear the anger beneath it.  “Bed… We’re tired…”

Jack didn’t hesitate to lead them to his office to show them to his bed beneath the trap door, but before they could descend, he asked, “What made you two leave your planet?” 

Theta bristled, but he growled out a response as he immediately urged The Doctor to climb down the ladder faster.  “Bonded… They didn’t like…” 

Jack’s eyes crinkled.  “I thought you two were bonded.  You make a cute couple.” 

Theta’s teeth bared now.  “Stupid humans hurt him… Stupid…   _ Stupid  _ humans…!” 

“I know.” It was one of those rare moments Jack allowed his tone to be saturated with remorse.  “Humans can be so horrible… And I’m so sorry they hurt him, but that’s why you’re both here; so no one can hurt you again.  You two are  _ safe  _ here with us; I  _ promise _ .” 

Theta shook his head. His eyes narrowed, and Jack could make out the heartbreak in them.  “Humans  _ hurt  _ him.  He’s… He’s…”

Jack didn’t know if it were too painful for him to finish the sentence or if he just couldn’t translate his emotions, but Theta quickly disappeared down the ladder, leaving Jack to wander back to his employees.  

“Everyone needs to be extra careful with those two,” he announced.  “I  _ mean  _ it.  Doc is getting there, but I honestly think that whatever they went through, Theta has been hit worst emotionally and mentally.  He doesn’t trust humans, and if he ever will again… That’ll be decided by how well he feels he can trust us.” 

There was agreement all around the room, but Jack didn’t think it was going to be that easy; those aliens had suffered so much, they might never be able to be salvaged completely.  

Neither Gallifreyan had been seen for the rest of the day, so when Jack retired to his office after everyone else had gone home, the first thing he searched for was the sound of life around him.  He found it, but in the unexpected form of what he recognised to be kissing. 

He knew he shouldn’t look.  He should turn and leave the office and let them have their privacy.  He should… do anything but walk the rest of the way to the trapdoor and look in.  

They loved each other, Jack could see.  They hadn’t exaggerated when Theta had confirmed a bonding between them; with the way they lay together, curled in each other’s arms and their lips pressed together so lightly, Jack couldn’t help but wonder how long they’d been bonded for.  

“Mmm…”

Jack looked closer at the soft moan that echoed around his sleeping quarters.  He was no stranger to that sound, and through the dimmed light he could make out the way Theta’s body mostly covered The Doctor’s own as the younger looking Gallifreyan’s arm moved between them in a manner Jack knew all too well.  

They were both still fully clothed, and this must have been going on before Jack entered the office because just as he’d decided he  _ needed  _ to turn around and give them their privacy, he recognised Theta’s body as tensing seconds before a loud grunt sounded and everything in the sleeping quarters stilled.

There was a soft murmur and then another kiss, deep this time, as Theta moved his body off his companion’s to grab the blanket and wipe away what he had spilt.

“Wait!” Jack winced at his own voice; he shouldn’t be disturbing him, and their reactions to him proved it.  Jack had never seen The Doctor look as terror-stricken as he did when he pulled the blankets up to his nose and peeked out at the human with horrified eyes.  Theta snarled as he curled around his companion to shield him from Jack’s view, and for the first time since Jack had been around them, Theta’s feral expression was accompanied by floods of telepathic emotion that made Jack want to drop to his knees and  _ cry _ ; if  _ this  _ was how they felt on a daily basis… 

“Easy…” They didn’t want him there, but Jack still found himself putting his hands out in front of him as he moved slowly to the ladder.  “Easy… It’s okay… I’m not going to hurt you… Shh… Shh…” 

They allowed him to descend the ladder until he was standing motionlessly by the bed, still trying to soothe them with his voice before he attempted to close the distance between them.  He took one step towards the bed, but it was enough for Theta to jump off the bed and snarl again, his body tensed and ready for a fight. 

“Easy…” Jack kept one hand in front of him as he sidestepped to the bundle of dirty clothing ready for the washing machine.  He moved slowly, doing his best to make sure he didn’t come off as any kind of threat, and finally, he resurfaced with a dirty shirt.  He held it towards Theta. “Here… Don’t use the blankets to clean up; we need to keep those clean… Use something dirty instead… Okay?  It’s alright; take it…” 

Jack didn’t understand how he had managed to get close enough to Theta to give him the shirt; with the way the alien was quivering from anger, he had expected to be attacked – but instead, he snatched the shirt away and backed up onto the bed, his eyes on Jack the entire time as he slowly lowered the blankets The Doctor was hiding beneath to clean him up.  

Jack stepped back to give them space.  He kept his eyes on the tenderness before him; The Doctor shaking in fear as he allowed himself to be cleaned up while Theta was so incredibly loving, murmuring in Gallifreyan as he caressed his companion’s cheek with his hand to comfort.  

The Doctor held a tremendous amount of trust in Theta, Jack could see, and it almost made him envious.  He’d always wanted something like that; a relationship he could love and be loved in, but for one reason or another, every relationship he’d had would fall apart.  

“You love him.  So much…” Jack lowered his eyes to the ground when the aliens looked at him.  “Theta… He means  _ everything  _ to you, doesn’t he?  That’s why you… are so angry all the time…  Because no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t protect him…” 

The Gallifreyans looked at each other with unreadable expressions until Theta looked back to Jack and gestured for him to come closer.  When the human was in range, he reached his hand out and touched it to Jack’s forehead. 

Jack flinched at the sudden assault of second-hand emotion flooding throughout him.  He dropped to his knees as he became overwhelmed by the echoing screaming inside his head that wasn’t his own.  He tried to scrunch his eyes closed tight to block out the images playing before them, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop seeing Theta’s memories of trying desperately to get to the humans causing his companion so much agony.  

The screaming was too much.  It was pure fear, torture as his body was penetrated cruelly by humans who cared nothing for his discomfort.  The worst part about it was seeing it through Theta’s eyes and  _ feeling  _ the anguish and despair and  _ heartbreak  _ that came with being forced to watch his companion suffer like this.  

“Stop…” Jack felt pathetic at how weak his voice came out, but when it all stopped, he gasped in a deep breath to ground himself.  He didn’t realise his eyes were wet with tears until one rolled down his cheek. “…”

Theta looked back to The Doctor now, his hand threading slowly through his companion’s hair as his Gallifreyan murmurings sounded again.  “…” 

Jack stood on shaky feet.  He approached them until he was kneeling on the bed next to The Doctor.  He allowed his hand to slowly ascend closer to him until it was resting on his cheek, and his eyes shone with pure emotion as he whispered, “You  _ never  _ have to fear  that  _ here _ , Doctor…  _ Either  _ of you.   _ No one  _ here will hurt you like that.   _ No one _ .” 

The Doctor glanced back to Theta for reassurance, and at his nod, he leant into the hand warmer than what he was used to as his eyes closed.  He nuzzled the palm as he conveyed the emotion he had felt for so long at the hands of humans, a crushing sadness that Jack was sure he was drowning in.

“It’s okay now.” He couldn’t promise that, so why was he?  Because he truly was clueless at how to handle this any further?  His shoulders trembled as he withheld emotion stronger than he was used to feeling; with that kind of torment inside the Gallifreyans, Jack could understand why they were so bitter and angry at the world.  “It’s okay because you’re  _ away  _ from people who want to hurt you.   _ We  _ don’t want to hurt you; we just..   We only want to  _ help  _ you.  I know you might never be able to trust humans, but not  _ all  _ of us are like that.  If you let us… We can look after you.”

The Doctor looked to Jack with such sad eyes, what little was left of Jack’s heart by this point shattered, when the Gallifreyans finally gave him tiny nods to acknowledge they believed him, his tears finally let loose.  

“Jack…” 

Jack opened his eyes at the cool thumb that was wiping his tears away.  The Doctor was looking back at him, with tears of his own rolling down his cheeks.  He reached his arms out slowly, so slowly that The Doctor had ample opportunity to back away if he didn’t want to be approached, until he was finally embracing the shaking body against his own.  His fingers threaded through the hair at the back of the alien’s head as he whispered, “Shh… It’s alright… It’s alright…” 

Theta still held that wary look on his face, but Jack could see how his shoulders were just that tiny bit more relaxed than usual, as if he still couldn’t trust one-hundred percent but held  _ some  _ belief in what he had just been told.  “…”

Jack’s eyes closed again.  He released The Doctor now and pulled back to look into those old eyes that just didn’t belong on such a youthful face.  “Shh… I’m going to finish my paperwork at the desk and then I’m going to go to bed. You two can stay there if you want; I don’t mind.” 

Jack really hadn’t expected for much as he sat at his desk across from the foot of the bed and pulled last night’s paperwork towards him, so when, after what his wristwatch told him had been forty-seven minutes, he saw something move from the corner of his eye, he couldn’t help but raise his eyebrow as he turned to look at The Doctor standing in the corner of the room with a curious expression on his face.  

When the alien looked at the paperwork and then back to Jack, Jack understood.  He gestured for him to come closer as he said, “This is paperwork. Humans do paperwork when they have jobs, which is what Torchwood is.  Do you understand?” 

The Doctor licked his lips.  He shuffled nervously before his mouth opened and he stuttered, “J-job…  Job… Ah. I know job.”

Jack didn’t get a chance to stay much else on the matter because The Doctor had already grabbed the abandoned pages that were complete so he could scrutinise them and mouth the words he seemed to recognise.  It wasn’t a problem and Jack didn’t mind, until the Gallifreyan called something out loudly in his native tongue and took the paperwork to the bed where Theta was laying, keeping watch with careful eyes. 

He’d almost stood up, ready to tell them that they couldn’t just take his paperwork like that and it was important for them to leave it alone – but that was until he heard Theta murmuring English to his companion, reading off the paperwork for his lover to understand and  _ learn  _ the tongue he had once been fluent in. 

Jack settled down again, picking up where he left off, but when he finally finished and realised the room had been quiet for a while without him noticing, he looked back to the bed.  The Doctor was fast asleep, curled up against Theta’s chest while Theta stroked him and looked up thoughtfully to the roof. 

“Mind if I lay down?” Jack’s eyes widened as he was nodded at; after everything that had been done to them, being allowed anywhere  _ near  _ them like this was something he hadn’t expected so soon – perhaps not forever.  “Thanks.” 

Jack made sure to change into pyjamas quickly, not wanting to keep Theta on edge for longer than necessary.  As soon as he was ready, he turned the light off and climbed into the bed, though he understood completely when he heard Theta pulling The Doctor as far away from him as possible – perhaps even changing positions so Theta was between them instead.

Jack couldn’t help but chuckle.  “He’s lucky to have someone like you who loves him so much.  That’s a rare thing here on earth.”

There had been silence following his words for so long, he nearly jumped out of his skin as a tender, “Yes…” snapped him from the brink of sleep.  He settled quickly, this time with a smile on his face; no matter how little, there was progress being made and that was all that mattered. 


End file.
